LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) – Right now, 250 people were told that come February, they will not have a job.

“These are significant emotional events and we don’t take them lightly,” ETHRA Workforce Services Director EL Morton said. “These folks lives are impacted heavily by these events.”

Right before the holidays, Morgan Olson, a manufacturing firm in Loudon County, announced their plans of a mass layoff.

For previous coverage: Loudon County manufacturing facility to lay off 250 workers

This can be a hard time for many, including the economy in a growing Loudon County.

“Anytime a community loses 250 jobs, you know it has a ripple effect on our local economy and retail,” Loudon City Mayor Jeff Harris said.

Many, including city and county officials as well as the East Tennessee Human Resources Agency (ETHRA), are trying to help those displaced employees find a new job that can keep them in the area.

“It’s significant, Loudon County Economic Development Agency (EDA), we’re in coordination with them, they do a good job attracting jobs and keeping jobs in their economy, and so we’re confident that they and surrounding counties can absorb those employees and good wages and benefits,” Morton said.

Loudon County EDA along with ETHRA are working with both the company as well as the displaced workers.

“Companies got to make their decisions based on their economy and their financial situation, all we can do is respond to it,” Harris said. “We’re gonna respond in the most positive way we can and we feel like the best way to do that is to look at these employees and see what we can do to try to find them placement as quick as possible.”

ETHRA is offering different strategies to help people find new jobs. They are doing what they can to help these workers get through a scary time.

“The services that we’ll provide are on site job fairs and we will advise them on how to file their unemployment insurance claims,” Morton said.

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